Investments would allow for expansion of CARE Department responders and efforts, add new fire recruits, increase the post-overdose response team, and support community treatment and diversion programs.
Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced his funding proposal to expand the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department and allow for twice the number of behavioral health responders to meet immediate community needs. Building on his administration’s comprehensive approach to public safety, the mayor’s nearly $40 million investment plan would fund more firefighters, treatment and post-overdose response, and community diversion programs.
“Our CARE department is changing the public safety paradigm, and Seattle is investing in what works. Over the past two years our CARE responders have proven to be a compassionate and effective addition to our public safety system. This is a significant step forward for CARE and for our commitment to safety: Doubling the number of responders is part of our promise for every neighbor to be able to count on the right response, at the right time,” said Mayor Harrell. “Seattle Fire Department is a national leader in innovative treatment and adding new recruits and expanding their post-overdose team means more people will get the help they need. We are responding to the crisis of addiction and overdoses with proven City programs and expanding investments in experienced community partners like PDA and DESC.”
Mayor Harrell’s plan would provide $9.5 million to double the number of CARE Community Crisis Responders (CCR) with 24 new positions, as well as supervisors, a new training manager, and additional equipment. The expansion will increase the number of CCRs on staff and extend service hours, ensuring more Seattle residents have access to compassionate, effective crisis response. The investment will also add 12 dispatcher and call taker positions to ensure the 911 Center, which has already fielded more than 581,000 calls and texts in 2025, is fully staffed.
Since launching in late 2023, the CCR program has demonstrated strong results. In 2025 alone, CCRs have responded to more than 2,000 calls citywide, supporting people experiencing behavioral health challenges, connecting residents to services, and working alongside first responders at the Seattle Police and Seattle Fire departments. In August, the team handled nearly 300 calls across the city. The proposal also adds $15 million in baseline support for the CARE department, solidifying the City’s investment in this critical work while facing a budget deficit.
The mayor is proposing $39 million in investments through a 0.1% public safety sales tax through authority provided by the Washington Legislature this year. His plan invests in:
- $9.5 million – Double CARE responders and add 9-1-1 dispatchers
- $7.4 million – Expand SFD post overdose team and add community treatment beds and staffing
- $5 million – Bolster LEAD criminal diversion program capacity
- $2.1 million – Add new fire recruits for critical SFD Staffing
- $15 million – Stabilize ongoing CARE operations
“In the nearly two years since the launch of our Community Crisis Responder program, CCRs have responded swiftly and successfully to thousands of 911 calls, meeting people in crisis with compassion and connecting them to the care they need. Every day, our 911 call takers hear from community members asking for CCRs to respond; doubling the size of our team will ensure we are available at least 20 hours a day, citywide,” said CARE Chief Amy Barden. “Seattle 911 call takers are the first first responders, and I am delighted that Mayor Harrell is acknowledging their crucial role through further investment. These budget decisions don’t simply represent commitment to a growing department, but rather to a national movement toward a system of first response that is data-driven, diversified, and humane. Our neighbors deserve the best first response to a 911 call.”
Additionally, $2.1 million of the sales tax would be used to fund an additional 20 Seattle Fire Department (SFD) recruits and $1.6 million would be used to expand operations for SFD’s Health 99 post overdose response team.
The $1.6 million expansion for Health 99 would fund an ambulance and van to transport patients and conduct follow-up visits with clients served by the Mobile Integrated Health program. The investment would also fund the hiring of additional staff members including an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner that can administer medication in the field, a strategic advisor to oversee Health 99 operations, and Human Services Department case managers and SFD firefighter/EMTs to help staff the units.
Last month, SFD announced that its Firefighter/EMTs reached the milestone of administering buprenorphine at its 100th patient encounter in the field – after launching the first in the nation pilot program last year to administer this medication. Currently, SFD responds to more than 60 patients per week experiencing an opioid overdose across the city. Health 99 has responded to more than 1,377 overdoses since it launched in July 2023.
To grow the capacity of registered nurses providing critical engagement and medication services for opioid use disorders in permanent supportive housing (PSH) and shelters citywide, the proposal invests $1.2 million in DESC’s Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center’s Patient Outreach Division (POD) team. The City is expanding the ORCA POD to address the disproportionate number of opioid related overdoses and fatalities at PSH and shelters locally.
As of August 2025, overdose deaths in Seattle are down 20% compared to 2024 and down 36% compared to 2023, according to King County Medical Examiner’s Office data.
“SFD’s Post Overdose Response Unit (Health 99) aims to connect overdose survivors with medications for opioid use disorder, primary care and other supportive services,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. “In 2024, our team began administering the buprenorphine medication in the field, which temporarily stabilizes patients and provides short-term relief from withdrawal symptoms to allow our responders to better engage in conversations around treatment, recovery and social services. These strategies have proven to be a successful fire department model towards a public health approach of helping those in our community who are battling addiction.”
The spending plan also includes investments in provider-led programs, including $5.9 million for detox and treatment support and $5 million to support program capacity for the LEAD diversion program.
“True public safety has many components; effective interventions for people who are unsheltered and dealing with severe substance use issues, however, are among the most critical. We know that the best practice for people with such complex barriers is long term care coordination — a “golden thread” case manager who helps tackle obstacles, navigates resistant bureaucracies, and supports the person when they’re considering daunting changes,” said Tara Moss, Fé LopezGaetke, and Lisa Daugaard, Co-Executive Directors, Purpose Dignity Action (PDA). “We also know that these efforts must be coordinated with law enforcement and the court system, lest those agencies unwittingly work at cross purposes with social workers who are also funded by the public. And we know that being able to access a range of treatment approaches, as well as recovery housing, is key to ensuring that people can make and maintain changes to their drug use.”
Of the overall treatment investment, $2.9 million will be made available through a funding process that will continue City-led investments for detox and inpatient treatment and residential set-aside beds that were piloted last year. The proposal also provides $1.8 million towards the Thunderbird Treatment Center, a new state of the art 92-bed treatment center on Vashon Island operated by Seattle Indian Health Board.
This series of investments will be considered by the City Council as part of the mayor’s 2026 budget proposal, which will be released in full later this month.
What People Are Saying
City Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9)
“I’ve been fighting to put treatment at the center of the city’s agenda because for too long, we’ve watched people suffering from untreated substance abuse disorder deteriorate and die on our streets while making our neighborhoods less safe for everyone. I applaud Mayor Harrell for implementing my proposal adopted by Council that prioritizes funding for critical treatment services and filling in gaps of the continuum of care. These investments will save lives, make our neighborhoods safer, and our community stronger.”
Tanya Kim, Director, Seattle Human Services Department
“Each life saved from an overdose gets a second chance for healing and recovery. These investments build on what we know works – quick connection to medications for opioid use disorder, warm handoffs for treatment, and effective diversion programs for harm reduction and prevention. By expanding Health 99’s reach and deepening our provider partnerships we are strengthening our public health and interrupting cycles of addition to build a healthier and safer Seattle.”
Daniel Malone, Executive Director, DESC
“Enhancements to opioid treatment have been very successful, leading to more and more people showing interest in treatment. Local investment can help sustain and build on recent successes in helping people caught up in chaotic fentanyl use, as well as build new approaches to address the difficult and complicated challenges related to stimulant use. This funding will allow this highly effective treatment to reach people where they are, helping them break the hold of fentanyl addiction.”
Esther Lucero (Diné), President & CEO, Seattle Indian Health Board
“The City’s commitment to addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis is going to have a significant impact throughout the region. An investment toward the Thunderbird Treatment Center is going to open up critical substance use disorder services that will benefit all our communities.”
Jon Scholes, President and CEO, Downtown Seattle Association
“Chief Amy Barden and the CARE Department are addressing a critical demand in our community, which is the appropriate public safety response to people in need on the streets. We applaud Mayor Harrell for investing in this approach. The scale of this crisis calls for additional resources so CARE will be able to meet the current need and achieve successful outcomes in getting people the help they desperately need. These additional public safety investments are additive to our efforts to create a healthy and vibrant downtown for all.”
Erin Goodman, Executive Director, SODO Business Improvement Area
“The SODO Business Improvement Area applauds Mayor Harrell’s leadership in directing nearly $40 million toward solutions that take a public health approach to some of Seattle’s most persistent challenges. In SODO, businesses and community members see every day how critical programs like the CARE responders, the Health 99 post-overdose team, and community-based treatment and diversion services are addressing complex crises with compassion and expertise. These investments not only save lives but also improve safety citywide by allowing police and fire departments to focus on the situations that require their trained expertise. This plan is a vital step toward building a safer, healthier, and more compassionate Seattle.”
Tija Petrovich, Chair, Pioneer Square Residents’ Council
“Thank you, Mayor Harrell, for your leadership and for directing the public safety sales tax funds towards evidence-based public safety solutions. Pioneer Square residents applaud your focus on investing in CARE responders, the SFD Health 99 post-overdose team, and community-centered treatment and diversion programs. These initiatives represent a crucial public health approach to our city’s most complex challenges. By prioritizing these proven solutions, you’re not just funding programs; you’re building a safer, healthier, and more supportive Seattle for everyone. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of these vital investments in our community.”
Charlotte Starck, President, Alki Community Council
“Countless West Seattle households have been touched by the grip and toll of addiction. A loved one. A friend or co-worker. Families broken. Businesses and citizens hurt by property and violent crime. We all see it—from Alki to South Park. This is a critical investment to expand CARE teams and post-overdose treatment. These multidisciplinary teams deliver tangible help at ‘rock bottom’ moments when lives hang in the balance. One by one, if we restore an addict’s hope with real support, we help restore communities.”
Don Blakeney, Executive Director, The U District Partnership
“Like many communities in Seattle, the U District has experienced the impacts of people struggling with untreated mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Thanks to the leadership of Chief Amy Barden, the CARE Department is filling a critical gap in our city’s crisis response system. Equally important, the LEAD program is addressing the root causes that lead people into crisis, helping to create long-term solutions for people while improving community safety. The U District deeply appreciates the leadership of Council President Nelson and Mayor Harrell. Their investments are driving programs that not only deliver meaningful impact in our neighborhoods but are also setting national standards for best practices.”